


A Moment... or two

by notjustmom



Series: Box of 64 [59]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, M/M, Parentlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 16:56:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16067369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom





	A Moment... or two

Sherlock Holmes was more than halfway through his forties, forty-eight, more or less, and a few days, when he realised he actually felt like he was an actual grown-up. He wasn't completely sure why the epiphany hit him as it did.

Perhaps it was the appearance of the first grey hair that he noticed, or the third one. But he didn't think it had anything to do with his appearance. As much as most people took note of it, he never really paid as much attention to how he looked, as others might think. Of course it helped, on some occasions to look as he did, but at some points in his life he found it hindered far more often, it was hard to disguise himself quickly when the necessity arose.

No, it wasn't that he felt he was aging or maturing in the way that he should, at long last, that made him feel that he qualified as an adult.

It was the moment when a classmate of Rosie's approached him at the library one Saturday afternoon and asked him politely, "are you Rosie Watson-Holmes's dad?"

He looked at the red-haired girl in braids and nodded gravely. "Yes. Yes, I am."

"I thought so. Just thought I'd let you know, she's really nice."

Sherlock was stunned into speechlessness for a brief moment, then took the offered hand and whispered, they were in a library after all, "thank you. I appreciate knowing that -?"

"Mel. Melanie, but she calls me Mel at school."

"Mel. I'll let her know you said, 'hi,' then?"

"Please. She's just the best."

"I think so, too." Sherlock smiled back at her, then changed his mind about spending the afternoon working on whatever it was he was going to work on, and left the library, a little lighter than when he arrived.

"Ro?"

"Da? I thought you were at the library."

"I was. I ran into Mel? She asked me to say 'hi.'"

Rosie nodded. "She's really shy. But she's a good artist, and has an excellent sense of humour."

"I thought that might be the case. Do you want to grab an ice lolly or something?"

Rosie looked up from her book and saw something in Sherlock's face that made her stop what she was doing, and nod at him. "Yeah, Da, I'd love to get an ice lolly with you."

"Today was the first time some one recognised me because I was your dad, instead of all the other reasons they might." Sherlock said as they sat on the bench near the duck pond with their ice lollies.

Rosie looked over at him and smiled. "How did that make you feel, Da?"

Sherlock felt his face heat up, but he bit his lip, then turned towards her. "Like I've become something - someone, I've done a lot of things in my life, some things I've been proud of, some things I wish I could forget, but, today-I've never been prouder of you than I was today. And the idea that I have a small part in who you are, what you are becoming, it's the most grownup thing - I've always felt, I don't know, not quite like an adult, if that makes sense? I sometimes see the world through the eyes and mind of someone younger, which isn't always bad, it has helped solve cases, more often than not, but today, I saw the world through the eyes of being your father, and I've decided that the world is pretty okay through those lenses."

"I'm proud of you, Da," Rosie whispered and leaned into his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, but then I've always been proud to have you be my Da."

Sherlock blinked back tears and cleared his throat. "Should we go take your Papa an ice lolly - I know it's probably not quite the thing, might make his patients jealous, but -"

"Yeah, it's a Saturday, I think he definitely needs an ice lolly."

"Right, let's go."

"I love you, Da."

"Love you, too, Ro."


End file.
